ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a case study that investigates the views of Taiwanese students from Generation Y toward the topic of hotel disintermediation and also considers the relative power that User-Generated Content (UGC) exerts on their choices compared to information delivered by street travel agencies. Findings reveal four underlying dimensions of disintermediation perceptions: “Benefits of Online Reservation”, “Benefits of Travel Agency”, “Transaction Costs of Travel Agency” and “Online Trust & Search”. A series of t-test and ANOVA analyses indicate that demographics significantly influence respondents’ perceptions, when only an items-based analysis is considered. Results also highlight that the Internet is used mostly to make hotel reservations for domestic and medium-term travel. Finally, no significant differences exist between occasional, moderate and frequent online buyers, based on their likelihood to be influenced by UGC in their final choices. Findings provide support to hotel managers attempting to run distribution and promotion strategies targeting youth travelers.
